#WrestleUfa

Women's Wrestling Takes Centerstage at #WrestleUfa

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 - 11:33 By Vinay Siwach

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UFA, Russia (August 17) -- Amit ELOR (USA), Emily SHILSON (USA) and Irina RINGACI (MDA) highlight a field of 19 former age group world medalists as women's wrestling gets underway at the Junior World Championships Wednesday in Ufa, Russia.

Though Japan and China are going to miss a second consecutive age-group World Championships, USA will look to repeat their team title winning performance from the cadet World Championships in Budapest, Hungary last month.

Elor was with that team winning the gold medal at the 69kg weight class in dominating fashion. Still 17, she will be at her first junior Worlds and is the prime contender for the gold medal.

USA is bringing a strong team to Ufa with former world champion at the cadet level Shilson looking for her first junior world title. She also had a silver medal in 2017.

But SIMRAN (IND) would like to avenge her loss from the Youth Olympic Games final against Shilson. She is also entered the competition at 50kg.

Two more wrestlers from that 2018 Worlds are also entered in Natallia VARAKINA (BLR), bronze medalist and Viktoriia ALEKSANDROVA (RUS), also a bronze medalist.

For Elor, she is unlikely to face trouble from any of the competitors and this tournament could mark the start of a long title-winning career for her.

Another wrestler from the USA to look out for is Kennedy BLADES (USA) at 72kg who stunned everyone with her run at the US Olympic team trials by reaching the final. She lost to Taymra MENSAH STOCK (USA) who won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

At 65kg, Alara BOYD (USA) will try to capture the gold after winning a silver and bronze at the cadet Worlds level. But a big match up against Ringaci awaits her.

Ringaci is the most accomplished wrestler in the field with gold medals at the senior and U23 European Championships in 2021, a gold at the U23 Worlds in 2019.

Kylie WELKER (USA), who wrestled Adeline GRAY (USA) in the final of the US Team Trial, will be hoping to improve on her bronze medal finish at the 2019 cadet Worlds, which she won at 61kg.

Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR), who won bronze for Ukraine at that Worlds, will also entered at 76kg and so is 2021 European champion Melisa SARITAC (TUR).

Four former world medalists are entered at 55kg as well. Alesia HETMANAVA (BLR) won a bronze medal at the 2019 cadet Worlds and will be looking to improve on that performance in Ufa. From the same Worlds, Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ) won a silver medal.

Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) also has won a bronze medal at the 2019 cadet Worlds at the 49kg and is now entered at 55kg.

A former junior World Championships bronze medalist Mansi AHLAWAT (IND) is entered at 57kg and she will be looking to make her first final at this level. But home favourite Anastasiia KOZLOVA (RUS) and Claire DICUGNO (USA) will be big threats for her.

At 59kg, Anna SZEL (HUN) will be the favourite given she already has two cadet World medals apart from a host of European medals.

Women's wrestling begins Wednesday with five weight classes -- 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg -- followed by the remaining five on Thursday.

#Grappling

Brzozowska champ again; Poland, Spain share spotlight U20 Grappling Worlds

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - 12:52 By Vinay Siwach

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LOUTRAKI, Greece (November 5) -- Two weeks after winning gold at the senior World Grappling Championships, Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) was at it again as she captured gold in U20 World Grappling Championships.

Brzozowska, who led an inspiring performance from Poland, won gold in Grappling No-Gi competition and silver in Grappling Gi.

 

In the three bouts she wrestled, Brzozowska managed to dominated her opponents and capture the gold medal. In the final, she defeated Alisa GOLUB (UWW), 6-1, in a one-sided bout.

 

Her gold in Grappling No-Gi, one of the three that Poland won in Loutraki, held the country edge out Spain to finish first in the team race. Spain and Poland finished with 75 points each but the latter had three golds while Spain had none.

In Grappling Gi, Spain got the top spot with 85 points while Poland was second with 50 points.

Apart from Brzozowska, the two other gold medalists for Poland were Adrianna MAZUR (POL) and Maja SALAMON (POL) who won gold medals at 64kg and 71kg respectively.

At 49kg, Alsu GALIEVA (UWW) won the Nelson bracket to claim gold while Arina LISTOPAD (UWW) did the same at 53kg to become the world champion.

Galieva, Mazur and Salamon repeated as champions in Grappling Gi while the 53kg gold medal went to Yurima BETANCOR (ESP) who defeated Paula MARTINEZ KIM (ESP), via submission.

Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP)Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP) won the gold medal at 58kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

At 58kg, Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP) defeated Varvara MARTYNOVA (UWW), 9-0, in the final to give Spain a second gold which helped it win the team title.

Spain was dominant in the men's Grappling Gi as well, claiming the team title with 91 points, a one-point advantage over Poland which managed 90 points. Kazakhstan was third with 84 points.

For Spain, Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) and Ouassim ADREUACH IDRISSI (ESP) won gold medals at 62kg and 77kg.

Last year's U17 world champion Martin Sanchez held on to his 6-4 lead against Aindi IUSUPOV (UWW) to win a thrilling 62kg final and the gold medal. Idrissi was more dominant in the 77kg final as he submitted Ikram YERSAIYN (KAZ).

Kazakhstan's gold medal came through Akhmet IBRASHEV (KAZ) who submitted Evgenii PARAKHIN (UWW) in the 58kg final.

Poland won two gold medals as well with Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL) defeating Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP), 7-2, in the 100kg final, denying Spain another gold medal.

Patryk REKMAN (POL) denied hosts Greece a gold medal after he managed to submit Angelos ZANGELIDIS (GRE) after building a 12-3 lead in the 92kg final.

The remaining four gold medals went to UWW grapplers with Magomed IUSUPOV (UWW) winning at 66kg, Amir APPAEV (UWW) at 71kg, Shamil GUSEINOV (UWW) at 84kg and Lavrent OGANESIAN (UWW) claiming the gold at 130kg.

Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP)Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) became a double world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

In Grappling No-Gi, Ukraine outclassed Spain to win the team title with 99 points while Spain finished with 94 points. Poland was third with 90 points.

Ukraine's lone gold medal came at 84kg as Lev TSEMKO (UKR) managed to hang on to a 6-3 win over Mateusz HEBDOWSKI (POL) in the final to claim the top medal.

At 58kg, Leonid IUSUPOV (UWW) denied Ibrashev a second gold medal of the tournament after beating him 2-0 in a low scoring final.

Martin Sanchez repeated as champion at 62kg as he defeated Nikita LADYGIN (UWW), 10-2, in the final to claim his second gold medal, all at the age of 18 years. Rekman also repeated as champion after he submitted Oleh STRATIICHUK (UKR) in the 92kg final to give Poland a gold medal.

At 71kg, Mohamed YAHYAOUI (FRA) went on to claim the gold medal after beating Arslan ZHASSULAN (KAZ), 9-2, in a one-sided final.

Among UWW grapplers, Dzhamaludin MUKHAMMADBASIROV (UWW) won gold medal at 71kg, while Rustam GADZHIMURADOV (UWW) defeated Umar EMINOV (UWW), 3-2, in the 77kg final.

Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL) was denied a double gold medal as well after he lost the 100kg final, 9-0, against Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP). At 130kg, Nikita BABAEV (UWW) won the Nelson bracket to claim the gold medal.

RESULTS

U20 Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Akhmet IBRASHEV (KAZ) df. Evgenii PARAKHIN (UWW), via submission

BRONZE: Saulo HERNANDEZ MONTERO (ESP) df. Ali ZHAMALIDEN (KAZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Fernando CABRERA GUTIERREZ (ESP) df. Rayan BENESSALAH (FRA), 3-2

62kg
GOLD: Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) df. Aindi IUSUPOV (UWW), 6-4

BRONZE: Dmytro PRUT (UKR) df. Adam BENESSALAH (FRA), 4-4
BRONZE: Konstantinos GRAMMENOS (GRE) df. Daniel GONZALEZ (ESP), 15-4

66kg
GOLD: Magomed IUSUPOV (UWW) df. Mikhail TUKOV (UWW), via submission (4-2)

BRONZE: Ali MUKHAMBET (KAZ) df. Bakytbek MIRZABOEV (KGZ), 1-1 (overtime)
BRONZE: Alpamys USSABAYEV (KAZ) df. Gagik SAHAKYAN (ARM), 4-3

71kg
GOLD: Amir APPAEV (UWW) df. Yanis YAHYAOUI (FRA), via submission (1-0)

BRONZE: Laszlo STAGEL (HUN) df. Maksym TORCHYLO (UKR), 9-0
BRONZE: Milan LUKASZ (HUN) df. Arslan ZHASSULAN (KAZ), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Ouassim ADREUACH IDRISSI (ESP) df. Ikram YERSAIYN (KAZ), via submission (2-0)

BRONZE: Rayane ANGELOSANTO (FRA) df. Gyorgy STAGEL (HUN), 6-3
BRONZE: Antonio HERRERA (ESP) df. Jakub KAMINSKI (POL), 6-2

84kg
GOLD: Shamil GUSEINOV (UWW) df. Ivan SHKABRII (UKR), 2-1

BRONZE: Csaba SZABO (HUN) df. Magomed ZAKRIEV (UWW), 13-2
BRONZE: Lev TSEMKO (UKR) df. Mateusz HEBDOWSKI (POL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Patryk REKMAN (POL) df. Angelos ZANGELIDIS (GRE), via submission (12-3)

BRONZE: Arsenii ERMAKOV (UWW) df. Yestemir KENZHEGALI (KAZ), via submission
BRONZE: Karim ADEM (FRA) df. Bator MOLNAR (HUN), 11-4

100kg
GOLD: Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL) df. Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP), 7-2

130kg
GOLD: Lavrent OGANESIAN (UWW) df. Nikodem KOWAL (POL), 6-1

U20 Women's Grappling Gi

49kg
GOLD: Alsu GALIEVA (UWW) 
SILVER: Julia BELTRAN MARUENDA (ESP)
BRONZE: Adriana MARTINEZ KIM (ESP)

53kg
GOLD: Yurima BETANCOR (ESP) df. Paula MARTINEZ KIM (ESP), via submission (0-2)

58kg
GOLD: Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP) df. Varvara MARTYNOVA (UWW), 9-0

BRONZE: Alisa GOLUB (UWW) df. Iris GARCIA (ESP), via submission (2-2)

64kg
GOLD: Adrianna MAZUR (POL)
SILVER: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)
BRONZE: Anabel PEREZ SCHMIELEWSKI (ESP)

71kg
GOLD: Maja SALAMON (POL)
SILVER: Sofiia ZHENEVSKA (UKR)
BRONZE: Zhasmin KAIRAT (KAZ)

U20 Men's Grappling No-Gi

58kg
GOLD: Leonid IUSUPOV (UWW) df. Akhmet IBRASHEV (KAZ), 2-0

BRONZE: Saulo HERNANDEZ MONTERO (ESP) df. Askhab GAISAEV (UWW), 5-2
BRONZE: Sargis VIRABYAN (ARM) df. Zalan KEKESI (HUN), 3-0

62kg
GOLD: Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) df. Nikita LADYGIN (UWW), 10-2

BRONZE: Andrii TSVYK (UKR) df. Levente VARKONDI (HUN), 6-2
BRONZE: Aindi IUSUPOV (UWW) df. Daniel GONZALEZ (ESP), via submission (9-2)

66kg
GOLD: Dzhamaludin MUKHAMMADBASIROV (UWW) df. Moussa DIOUMASSI (FRA), 15-0

BRONZE: Ali MUKHAMBET (KAZ) df. Gagik SAHAKYAN (ARM), 4-2
BRONZE: Vadym SIROSHTAN (UKR) df. Bakytbek MIRZABOEV (KGZ), via submission (9-7)

71kg
GOLD: Mohamed YAHYAOUI (FRA) df. Arslan ZHASSULAN (KAZ), 9-2

BRONZE: Bilel BOULAMA (FRA) df. Lucian BRAI (MDA), via submission
BRONZE: Milan LUKASZ (HUN) df. Alvaro MEDINA (ESP), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Rustam GADZHIMURADOV (UWW) df. Umar EMINOV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Rayane ANGELOSANTO (FRA) df. Maksymilian KUSZAK (POL), 7-2
BRONZE: Ouassim ADREUACH IDRISSI (ESP) df. Andrii SOFRONII (UKR), 5-4

84kg
GOLD: Lev TSEMKO (UKR) df. Mateusz HEBDOWSKI (POL), 6-3

BRONZE: Shamil GUSEINOV (UWW) df. Shynggyskhan ABDIROV (KAZ), via submission (7-0)
BRONZE: Ivan SHKABRII (UKR) df. Ilyas ABDULLAYEV (KAZ), 12-6

92kg
GOLD: Patryk REKMAN (POL) df. Oleh STRATIICHUK (UKR), via submission (8-1)

BRONZE: Christos SERMIAS (GRE) df. Ion SILI (MDA), via submission (5-0)
BRONZE: Karim ADEM (FRA) df. Yestemir KENZHEGALI (KAZ), 5-2

100kg
GOLD: Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP) df. Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL), 9-0

130kg
GOLD: Nikita BABAEV (UWW) 
SILVER: Lavrent OGANESIAN (UWW)
BRONZE: Nikodem KOWAL (POL)

U20 Women's Grappling No-Gi

49kg
GOLD: Alsu GALIEVA (UWW)
SILVER: Julia BELTRAN MARUENDA (ESP)
BRONZE: Lyubov TEMNIKOVA (KAZ)

53kg
GOLD: Arina LISTOPAD (UWW)
SILVER: Paula MARTINEZ KIM (ESP)
BRONZE: Yurima BETANCOR (ESP) 

58kg
GOLD: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) df. Alisa GOLUB (UWW), 6-1

BRONZE: Angelica NIETO (ESP) df. Safiya UALIAKHMETOVA (KAZ), via submission (2-0)
BRONZE: Iris GARCIA (ESP) df. Maria BARNA (POL), via walkover

64kg
GOLD: Adrianna MAZUR (POL)
SILVER: Anabel PEREZ (ESP)
BRONZE: Kitti BALJER (HUN)

71kg
GOLD: Maja SALAMON (POL)
SILVER: Sofiia ZHENEVSKA (UKR)
BRONZE: Zhasmin KAIRAT (KAZ)